At two volumes and 448 pages, the Mueller report delivers an unprecedented glimpse behind the scenes of the Trump White House and the 2016 Republican presidential campaign.
CTVNews.ca has compiled 13 of the most striking and notable quotes from the document.
“You and I will get Donald and Vladimir on a stage together very shortly. That the game changer.” – Felix Sater, a real estate adviser who worked with the Trump Organization on several projects, in an email to Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, Nov. 3, 2015
“It is imperative to intensify criticizing Hillary Clinton.” – A supervisor with the Russia-based Internet Research Agency, which the report describes as a state-backed operation using social media to influence the American political system, to the agency’s Facebook specialist, unknown date, 2016
“If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.” – Donald Trump Jr., responding to an email from event promoter Robert Goldstone, who had reached out on behalf of Emin Agalarov, the son of a Russian real estate developer, to say that Russia could provide the Trump campaign with information “that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia,” June 3, 2016
“Great to see you and your dad talking about our publications. Strongly suggest your dad tweets this link if he mentions us.” – A WikiLeaks operative to Trump Jr. via a Twitter direct message including a link to the WikiLeaks trove of hacked emails from Democrats, Oct. 12, 2016 (Trump Jr. directed his followers to the site two days later)
“President-Elect Trump asked McFarland if the Russians did ‘it,’ meaning the intrusions intended to influence the presidential election. McFarland said yes, and President-Elect Trump expressed doubt that it was the Russians.” – Mueller’s account of Trump and his transition team being briefed on the U.S. sanctioning Russia for interfering in the election, Dec. 29, 2016
“Now that we fired Flynn, the Russia thing is over.” – U.S. President Donald Trump, to an unnamed adviser, following the dismissal of national security adviser Michael Flynn, Feb. 14, 2017 (The adviser disagreed)
“While I greatly appreciate you informing me that I am not under investigation concerning what I have often stated is a fabricated story on a Trump-Russia relationship – pertaining to the 2016 presidential election, please be informed that I, and I believe the American public – including Ds and Rs – have lost faith in you as Director of the FBI.” – Trump’s self-dictated first draft of a letter firing James Comey as FBI director, based on notes kept by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, May 5, 2017
“While I greatly appreciate your informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation concerning the fabricated and politically-motivated allegations of a Trump-Russia relationship with respect to the 2016 Presidential Election, please be informed that I, along with members of both political parties and, most importantly, the American Public, have lost faith in you as the Director of the FBI and you are hereby terminated.” – The final version of the letter, delivered to Comey on May 9, 2017
“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job.” – Trump to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, May 10, 2017
“When Sessions told the President that a Special Counsel had been appointed, the President slumped back in his chair and said, ‘Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m f***ed.’” – Mueller’s account of Trump’s reaction to his appointment as special counsel, based on notes from Sessions’ chief of staff Jody Hunt and edited for profanity, May 17, 2017
“I hope this favor was worth for your dad—it could blow up.” Goldstone in a text message to Agalarov, July 9, 2017
“The President’s efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.” – Mueller report, March 2019
“If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.” – Mueller report, March 2019
